Passing through resonance: The excitation and dissipation of the lunar free libration in longitude

The acceleration of the mean lunar longitude has a small effect on the periods of most terms in a Fourier expansion of the longitude. There are several planetary perturbation terms that have small amplitudes, but whose periods are close to the resonant period of the lunar libration in longitude. Some of these terms are moving toward resonance, some are moving away from resonance, and the periods of those terms that do not include the Delaunay variables in their arguments are not moving. Because of its acceleration of longitude, the Moon is receding from the Earth, so the magnitude of the restoring torque that the Earth exerts on the rotating Moon is gradually attenuating; thus resonance itself is moving, but at a much slower rate than the periods of the accelerating planetary perturbations. There are five planetary perturbation terms from the ELP-2000 Ephemeris (with amplitudes of 0.00001 or greater) that have passed through resonance in the past two million years. One of them is of special interest because it appears to be the excitation source of a supposed free libration in longitude that has been detected by the lunar laser ranging experiment. The amplitude of the term is only 0.00021 but it could be the source of the 1 amplitude free libration term if the viscoelastic properties of the Moon are similar to those of the Earth.     

Évolution de l'onde semi-diurne M2 de la marée à Brest de 1846 à 2005

The work of searching, recovering and quality control of ancient sea-level measurements at Brest is presented. This work enables us to complete a study carried out by Cartwright in 1972, which showed a decrease in the tidal M2 semi-diurnal amplitude of 1% per century. After including these ancient data, as well as the last four decades of observations in the analysis, our results show an increase of the amplitude of M2 after 1960 and a decrease before 1880, suggesting a long-period oscillation rather than a steady secular trend. To cite this article: N. Pouvreau et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

New data on Sr-and C-isotopic chemostratigraphy of the Upper Riphean type section (Southern Urals)

New data on Sr-and C-isotopic systematics of carbonate rocks from the Upper Riphean stratotype (Karatau Group of the southern Urals) are obtained for several southwestern sections of the Bashkirian meganticlinorium, which have not been studied before. The results obtained supplement the Sr-and C-isotopic information for the group upper horizons thus detailing chemostratigraphic characterization of the entire succession. Limestone and dolostone samples used to analyze the Sr isotope composition satisfy strict geochemical criteria of the isotopic system retentivity and have been subjected to preliminary treatment in ammonium acetate to remove secondary carbonate phases. Data on 255 samples of carbonate rocks (171 studied for the first time) show that δ¹³C value varies in the Karatau Group succession from ?2.8 to +5.9 ‰ V-PDB with several in-phase excursions from the general trend in all the sections studied in the area 90 × 130 km. The δ¹³C variation trend demarcates several levels in the carbonate succession of the Karatau Group suitable for objectives of regional stratigraphy and for C-isotope chemostratigraphic subdivision of the Upper Riphean. The results of Sr isotopic analysis of 121 samples (51 unstudied before) from the Karatau Group imply that rocks in its lower part (the Katav Formation and basal horizon of the Inzer Formation) experienced considerable secondary alterations, while limestones and dolostones of the overlying interval of the group are frequently unaltered. In the “best” samples satisfying geochemical criteria of the isotopic system retentivity, the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratio increases from 0.70521–0.70532 in the lower Inzer deposits to 0.70611 in the upper Min’yar carbonates, decreasing to <0.70600 near the top of the latter. Above the regional hiatus separating the Min’yar and Uk formation, this ratio grows from 0.70533 to 0.70605–0.70609 in the limestone succession of the last formation.     

Impacts of Holocene climatic variations on alluvial fan activity below snowpatches in subarctic Québec

In the Lake Guillaume-Delisle area of subarctic Québec, storm-generated alluvial fans have been active sporadically throughout the Holocene. In this study, we propose that the persistence of late-lying snowpatches in fan catchments during Holocene cold episodes promoted alluvial fan activity by lowering the precipitation threshold required to trigger a torrential event. This hypothesis was tested by characterizing the depositional processes responsible for alluvial fan formation below snowpatches, and by reconstructing the Holocene alluvial fan activity. Stratigraphic and sedimentary analyses conducted on seven alluvial fans revealed that they were deposited by torrential activity leading to waterlaid, transient, or hyperconcentrated deposition. The chronology of the storm-generated alluvial fans — based on 22 radiocarbon dates — indicates that torrential activity was enhanced during the cooler Late Holocene (i.e., after ca. 3500 cal. yr BP). Snowier winters and cooler summers were beneficial to nival activity, allowing the persistence of larger snowpatches throughout the summer and fall seasons. Rainfall-induced thaw of such snowpatches during rainstorm events is inferred to have contributed to alluvial fan activity by increasing water availability. Three peaks of alluvial activity occurred during the Late Holocene (2950–2750, 1900–1400, and 800–300 cal. yr BP) and are indicative of increased storminess resulting in higher fan activity. Increased fan activity during cooler episodes was concurrent with increased runoff activity in the immediate pronival area. This stresses the importance of nivation below snowpatches and pinpoints the role of nivation in enhancing geomorphological activity during period of cooler and more humid climate in subarctic environments.     

Centennial to millennial geomagnetic secular variation

A time-varying spherical harmonic model of the palaeomagnetic field for 0–7 ka is used to investigate large-scale global geomagnetic secular variation on centennial to millennial scales. We study dipole moment evolution over the past 7 kyr, and estimate its rate of change using the Gauss coefficients of degree 1 (dipole coefficients) from the CALS7K.2 field model and by two alternative methods that confirm the robustness of the predicted variations. All methods show substantial dipole moment variation on timescales ranging from centennial to millennial. The dipole moment from CALS7K.2 has the best resolution and is able to resolve the general decrease in dipole moment seen in historical observations since about 1830. The currently observed rate of dipole decay is underestimated by CALS7K.2, but is still not extraordinarily strong in comparison to the rates of change shown by the model over the whole 7 kyr interval. Truly continuous phases of dipole decrease or increase are decadal to centennial in length rather than longer-term features. The general large-scale secular variation shows substantial changes in power in higher spherical harmonic degrees on similar timescales to the dipole. Comparisons are made between statistical variations calculated directly from CALS7K.2 and longer-term palaeosecular variation models: CALS7K.2 has lower overall variance in the dipole and quadrupole terms, but exhibits an imbalance between dispersion in   g ¹₂  and   h ¹₂  , suggestive of long-term non-zonal structure in the secular variations.     

月球某些资源的开发利用前景

21世纪月球探测的主要趋势是建立月球基地，开发利用月球的矿产资源，能源和特殊环境，为人类社会的可持续发展发挥长期而有效的支撑作用，通过对月海玄武岩中的钛铁矿，克里普岩中的U，Th,REE和月壤中的拟－3在月面的含量与分布的系统分析，月海玄武碉中蕴藏有极丰富的钛铁矿，TiO2总资源量超过70万亿t，钛铁矿还是月球基地生产水和火箭燃料的主要原料；克里普岩是未来月球探测与研究的热点之一，其蕴藏有巨量的铀，钍，钾，磷和稀土元素资源；月壤长期受到太阳风的辐射，使其蕴藏有极其丰富的氢，氦，氧，氮等气体资源，其中氦－3的资源量大于100万t，它是一种可供人类社会长期使用的，安全，清洁，高效，廉价的核聚变发电燃料，其含量与月壤的化学成分，矿物组分，颗粒大小等有密切的关系。     

2001年三次6级左右地震前西昌地磁的虚假异常研究

2001年，在西昌地磁台300km范围内连续发生了三次6级左右地震；即2月23日在西昌北200km的四川雅江县境内发生的6．0级地震；5月24日在西昌西南140km的盐源县内境内发生的MS5．8地震，10月27日在西昌西南260km的云南永胜发生的MS6．0地震。震前，西昌地磁台各相对观测记录分量和绝对观测量都发生了明显的异常变化。研究结果表明，由于邻近基建施工，使观测环境发生改变，引起大幅度虚假异常，这些异常 尽管与三次地震对应较好，但不是先兆异常。     

国际地磁参考场在我国地磁基础研究中的应用

国际地磁参考场资料在我国得到广泛应用。利用国际地磁参考场资料，我国学者研究了高斯分析、地球磁场模型及其源场可能位置、重磁关系、核幔耦合、地磁场能量、地球非偶极子磁场西向漂移等。在绘制中国地磁等值图中也利用了某些国际地磁参考场资料。     

香港海域叶绿素-a浓度的时空分布规律

选取香港海域7个水环境控制区在1988－1999年期间每月或每半月定位边疆聚样的37个水质测站，每个测站选用17个水质参数，研究香港海域海岸带水体叶绿素－a浓度及其相关因子的时空分布规律。对37个测站17个参数作聚类分析，结果表明，香港海域东部由半封闭海湾组成的水域控制区，其赤潮发生频率较高；西部水域属于河口环境。多变量分析结果表明，BOD5对叶绿素－a浓度普遍存在显著性影响，氮和光照条件在东部地叶绿素－a浓度的影响比西部海域更显著，而磷以及包括盐度，温度，溶解氧和pH在内的海洋物理化学条件在西部海域有更显著的影响。在整个香港海域，年内平均最高叶绿素－a浓度主要出现在冬末春初和夏末秋初，东部海域的年平均叶绿素－a浓度一般高于西部海域。香港海域的叶绿素－a浓度普遍存在一个8－10年的周期性变化规律。     

Statistical characteristics of chlorophyll-a concentration in Hong Kong′s coastal waters

In this paper seven of the ten Water Control Zones (WCZs) in Hong Kong′s coastal waters with monthly or bi-weekly sampling data of 17 parameters collected at 37 monitoring stations from 1988 to 1999 were selected to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of chlorophyll-a and its influencing factors. Cluster analysis was employed to group the monitoring stations based on the structure of the data set. Multiple step regression was employed to determine the significant influencing factors of chlorophyll-a level. The results suggest that all the monitoring stations could be grouped into two clusters. Cluster I with frequent red tide incidents comprises two WCZs which aresemi-enclosed bays. Cluster II with less red tide occurrence comprises the other five WCZs in an estuarine environment in the west. For both clusters, the organic contents indicator, BOD5, was a common significant influencing factor of the chlorophyll-a level. Nitrogen and light penetration condition related to turbidity, total volatile solids and suspended solids had more influence on the cholophyll-a level in Cluster I than in Cluster II, while phosphorus and oceanographic conditions associated with salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were more important in Cluster II than in Cluster 1. Generally, there was a higher average chlorophyll-a level in winter and autumn in a year.The chlorophyll-a level was much higher in Cluster I than in Cluster II among all seasons. Although the chlorophyll-a concentration had great variations from place to place in Hong Kong′s coastal waters, it seemed to have a common long term fluctuation period of 8-10 years with a high-low-high variation in the period in the whole region, which might be influenced by other factors of global scale.